How did the leopard get his spots?

Why do cats act as though they own the place?

What does a crocodile like best for lunch?

Why are rhinos so cranky?

What causes the ocean tides to rise and fall?

Who wrote the alphabet?

Generations of children have grown up with the Just So Stories and have been captivated by Rudyard Kipling’s wonderful insights into the world around us – all delivered in his mesmerising, read-aloud prose.

Now these classic gems have been given a new look for a new generation. Illustrated by South African children’s book author Alex Latimer - each story comes alive with his own insights and humour.

Children are going to LOVE this book!

About RUDYARD KIPLING                       

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (December 30, 1865 – January 18, 1936) was an English author and poet, born in Bombay, British India, and best known for his works The Jungle Book (1894), The Second Jungle Book (1895), Just So Stories (1902), and Puck of Pook’s Hill (1906); his novel, Kim (1901); his poems, including Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), If— (1910) and Ulster 1912 (1912); and his many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888) and the collections Life’s Handicap (1891), The Day’s Work (1898), and Plain Tales from the Hills (1888).

He is regarded as a major “innovator in the art of the short story”; his children’s books are enduring classics of children’s literature; and his best works speak to a versatile and luminous narrative gift. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English language writer to receive the prize, and he remains its youngest-ever recipient.

About ALEX LATIMER

Alex Latimer is a South African illustrator. He is the author of five picture books, The Boy Who Cried Ninja, Penguin’s Hidden Talent, The South African Alphabet(English and Afrikaans), From Aardvark to Zumaand Lion vs Rabbit. He lives in Cape Town.

Visit Alex Latimer’s blog at http://alexlatimer.blogspot.com/ and follow him on Twitter @almaxlat.

• Published by Puffin, Penguin Books South Africa
• ISBN: 9780143538141

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

The Hobbit is a classic in children’s literature, and the author, J.R.R. Tolkien, wrote it for his own children.  Since 1937, when the book was first published, it has never been out of print!

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

And today, the film adaptation of The Hobbit (Part 1), releases in cinemas nationwide, with Part 2 expected to be released next year.  Click HERE to watch the film trailer.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Zoo-wee-mama, the seventh book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series releases world-wide this Wednesday – it is titled THE THIRD WHEEL.

In this new book love is in the air ~ but what does that mean for Greg Heffley? A Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he’s worried he’ll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn’t have any prospects either, but that’s a small consolation. Then an unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowly the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who’s going to be lucky in love.

Says Jeff Kinney, the author, ‘Writing The Third Wheel has been a lot of fun because there’s so much humour to be mined in the world of middle school romance. When the dust settles at the end of the seventh book, the Wimpy universe will be changed in a way that will surprise fans of the series.’

Watch a quick YouTube clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv8QtJxrBKk&feature=related

Be Sociable, Share!

•